Business is always shifting. Economic trends change, technology evolves, and generational workforces move in and out. The one thing companies can always be sure of is adversity. So how do companies manage all the chaos? With today's supply chain issues, more people exiting the workforce than ever before, and the war for talent at an all-time high, how do business leaders possibly keep up with company culture and better yet, ensure they're making a profit?

Every Friday, a think tank of Great Game™ coaches comes together to discuss pressing issues today's companies are navigating. They share out-of-the-box ways of thinking, how leaders can control different areas of the business, and how to mitigate the issues organizations have no sway over. We've listed some takeaways for leaders to consider when handling part shortages, people shortages, and preparing for an uncertain economy.

In September of 2021, Jack Stack, President and CEO of SRC Holdings, discussed the future for his company, upcoming economic trends, and concerns business leaders should watch out for in 2022. Now that we're halfway through 2022, these trends and concerns are now today's reality. Listen to the complete podcast below to learn how implementing an operating system focusing on continuous improvement and planning can help you navigate challenges and adversity.

What does the Human Resources department look like for a company practicing open-book management and organizational transparency? Patty McCord gave us a sneak peek look at some of the cultural elements and values that helped make Netflix so successful, yes, Netflix. For those of you unfamiliar, Patty McCord is the author of Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility. Patty was a key confidant of Netflix founder Reed Hastings and served as the head of HR at Netflix during its rise. In her book, Powerful, she credits reading The Great Game of Business, by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham, for inspiring Netflix to adopt transparency and education when it came to the company's financials and strategic goals. According to Powerful, a big part of Netflix's secret to success in being first to shift to both a subscription model service and then later, a digital streaming service, was that they practiced open-book management.

Prices are going up. We've all noticed it, and it's maybe even got us a little panicked. So, when can we expect to see inflation start slowing down? Well, expert economists are expecting to enter a period of disinflation and slowed growth in 2022 and 2023. Below we have listed ways economists are saying inflation will impact spending and business growth — something all business leaders should take a look at.

We asked the President of The Great Game of Business, Darin Bridges if he thinks business owners should be raising their prices right now. His response, "hell, yes." Protecting Margins Now, So You Can Fund Growth Tomorrow We've always had a saying at SRC. When the economy goes down — it's not the time to be asking for price increases. You've got to do it while the economy is going up. Everybody knows costs are going up right now — they're creeping up everywhere. We've heard the horror stories of the price of lumber, and surcharges keep emerging. It can be a scary thing, but within an inflationary environment, price increases are regular, and they're a crucial part of protecting margins. So how do you protect margins? This is where the whole idea of engaging your employees in the business and the finances comes together. Educating employees on how they make an impact and getting them to take ownership in what they do is so important. When they're aware of inflation and how that impacts the company, they're able to monitor expenses in their area of the business to help stay on top of costs. One man, one owner, one business leader can't do it all. You have to get your people to constantly and proactively find ways to reduce costs. Getting your costs under control and then going for the price increase will help maintain margins. You've got to be able to protect your margins to continue to fund growth, fund your people, fund the retention, and all the things necessary to see success for your business.

Many companies beginning their GGOB journey ask, How often should your team Huddle? What does a Huddle look like? Those just starting out with the Great Game process often fear that these Huddles will be “too time consuming” or “just another meeting.” The truth is that Huddles, when done well, will actually save you time because they improve communication and the execution of tasks. Here, we've broken down each type of Huddle:

2021 seemed to fly by, at least here at The Great Game of Business. We were planning our year just yesterday, and then, BAM, the year was over. At least, that is how it felt. Looking back on 2021 made us take stock of the most read Great GameTM blogs. In case you missed them, here they are in order: #8 - 10 Easy Ways Leaders Can Express Appreciation in the Workplace Individuals in the workplace need to feel appreciated in order to enjoy their job, do their best work, have positive work relationships, and stay with their organization long-term. The key ingredient in meaningful, significant, and effective appreciation is individualization—expressing appreciation in the recipient’s preferred “language.” Varying the ways company leadership communicates appreciation will improve chances of hitting the mark, so we’ve compiled 10 ways leaders can express appreciation in the workplace and foster positive work relationships in order to establish a recognition culture. <>

By definition, a MiniGame™ is a short-term activity designed to correct a weakness or pursue an opportunity in your company. MiniGames motivate employees to make day-to-day improvements that will add up to year-long success, and when implemented correctly, MiniGames are proven to: Affect a financial or operational change: Drive results through improved performance. Increase business literacy: Reinforce key components of business success such as goal setting, mutual responsibility and performance management. Build teamwork: Rally employees (players) around a common goal in order to achieve a shared reward. Develop a winning attitude: Create an environment where winners are recognized and rewarded for generating results.

For nearly four decades, SRC Holdings have been evangelizing the importance of tapping into the universal human need to win. The Great Game of Business® educates your people in the rules of business, rallies them around a common goal, empowers them to see and improve the score, and engages them by allowing them to share in the rewards— What we call a Stake in the Outcome®—presenting them with the opportunity to win as a team. If you want to see success the way SRC has for almost four decades, you must start with communication. You need a system to ensure that you get the most out of your meetings. That doesn’t mean you need one identical to SRC’s meetings, or Huddles as we call them. On the contrary, your system will inevitably look, sound, and feel very different, as well it should. Companies are as diverse as people, and nothing is more distinctive than how you communicate. You have to develop a language and style with which you and your people feel comfortable, which fits your business personality. You will also have to adapt other companies’ techniques to your circumstances, and you may well have to invent new methods of your own.